The Millennium Doctor Speaks:

"Taking the pulse of 2000 A.D."

Much of what we see or hear about the "millennium" is presented
for its shock value, rather than its redeeming value. Rarely do we read
about what one community it doing to build its future. This issue of "Let's
Talk 2000" looks at how one Chamber of Commerce is using the focus
of the year 2000 to prepare for a quality new century.

For those joining us as new subscribers, keep in mind besides this bi-weekly
bulletin, there is also a daily discussion forum, "Talk 2000."
Rather than just two pages each two weeks, you can interact every day with
an electronic townhall on turn of the millennium issues. For more information
on how to subscribe, write talk2000@rmii.com, and ask for "Talk 2000
Invitation."

News from the Field:

"Here is the latest news on year 2000 efforts"

CHAMBER FOCUSES ON 2000
Has your local community begun to think about the year 2000... time capsules,
town center concepts and countdown events? One group which is helping its
community prepare for the "Quality Century Ahead" is the Central
Bucks Chamber of Commerce. This past fall they formed a Focus 2000 task
force.
Comprised of corporate executives, entrepreneurs, artists and architects,
this Eastern Pennsylvania commission has been meeting monthly to consider
how they can stimulate greater prosperity, effect positive change, and lead
their community to celebrate the year 2000.
The brain child of local stock broker David Werrett, the Focus 2000 group
has spawned different subgroups. The architectural committee has begun work
on a "Model City." They plan to enter their work into competition
with the American Institute of Architects. The business leader's committee
intends to roll out a series of Expo 2000 seminars, dealing with topics
such as "Expanding the Role of Women in Business" or "Business
Practices and Ethics." And the community leaders sub-group is considering
how to reinforce the arts, and string together a whole series of "milestone"
events to heighten "Bucks Fever" during the turn of the century
season.
Some of the early questions which the Focus 2000 task force considered are:

--What history will Central Bucks celebrate in 2000?
--What will the Bucks Beautiful programs be like in 2000?
--What commissioned arts and scholarship should be undertaken?
--Who will host the year 2000 Red Ball Gala?
--What resolutions will Chamber members make in the year 2000?

Given this focus on 2000, Chamber official Matthew
Aigeldinger recently turned to the Internet for third millennium resources
and found the Talk 2000 Forum. "We'd like to learn how other chambers
around the world are focusing on 2000," Aigelinger said. Source: talk2000@rmii.com

Talk from the Forum:

"Here is a recap of recent conversations"

HAS OUR PETRI DISH BECOME PUTRID?
Is there hope our planet might be salvaged? Our scientist from Bolder, Penelope
Boston, admits her natural optimism waivers when she looks to the future.
She likens the political resistance to millennial environmentalism to uncontrolled
bacteria in a petri dish:

It's probably no harder than taking a bunch of bacteria in a
liquid culture out of excreting into their surroundings. "Now, bugs!"
you say..."If you keep doing that, you're going to run out of nutrients
and drown in your own filth." "Go away, you big nasty annoying
Doom Sayer Human," they squeak in chorus. "The Divine Bacteria
will provide, the beautiful and bounteous Flask within which we all live
could NEVER be so polluted that we wouldn't be able to carry on in our prokaryotic
bliss!" Shortly after that stage, when the culture flask is entirely
packed with dead and dying cells, I autoclave 'em. Let's hope someone is
as merciful towards us when the time comes.

Are people paying any attention to these millennial environmental warnings?
Or have people in Texas returned to enjoying their T-bone steaks in spite
of the doomsayers warnings? Richard Landes
brought this thread to a conclusion when he surmised that humanity may have
hit an impasse in its development due to notions of identity, sovereignty,
nature, etc (God?), which we have inherited from the 19th century (holy
postmodernism batman!). He suggested change can come through millennial
mass movements, such as marches, etc., but the good they seek for society
can turn to bad if everyone is not vigilant.

New Millennial Sites:

"Here are new sites in cyberspace"

21C: "The magazine of the 21st century"
Interested in scanning the future to see what havoc the millennium might
wreak? With the design of a fine art magazine, Australian 21C Magazine will
keep you abreast of the contemporary millennial scene of fear and the twisted
edge of the technology. Their web site posts an April '95 table of contents
plus sample articles:
"Apocalypse Culture"--looks at the harbingers of hellhttp://www.21c.com.au/apocalyp.html
"Black Thunder"--reviews white-trash culture's obsession with
governmenthttp://www.21c.com.au/blackthu.html

HYSTERICIZING THE MILLENNIUM: "The Illusion
of the End"
An excerpt from the writings of post-modernist Jean Baudrillard posted by
"CTHEORY"--an international, electronic review of books on theory,
technology and culture.http://www.ctheory.com/a-hystericizing_the.html

NEW MILLENNIUM: "NASA's new spacecraft
design"
Hoping to increase missions at reduced costs, NASA is spending $30 million
this year in a new spacecraft design. The program, dubbed "New Millennium"
aims to miniaturized spacecraft and demonstrate low-cost technologies for
solar system exploration of the 21st century.http://pdc.jpl.nasa.gov/users/NewMillennium/NMuniv.html